<b>Chapter </b><b>89 </b>


    -HUNTER-


    The sound of my mother’sughter drifted through the mansion like music I had never heard before. I followed it to the main parlor, stopping in the doorway when I saw something that made my chest tighten.


    Mother was on the floor. On the actual floor, her expensive dress spread around her like flower petals, ying with wooden blocks with Caesar.


    She was smiling…really smiling…in a way I hadn’t seen since I was very small.


    “And this one goes here,” she was saying, helping Caesar stack another block. “Very good, darling. You’re so clever.”


    Caesar beamed up at her. “Granny Eleanor, can we build a castle?”


    Granny Eleanor. The name hit me like a punch to the gut.


    She had never let me call her anything but Mother. Even as a child, even when I had begged for something warmer, more affectionate.


    “Reid men don’t use pet names,” she’d always said. “It shows weakness.”


    But here she was, letting Caesar….encouraging Caesar…to call her the very thing she had forbidden me.


    “Of course, we can build a castle,” she said, her voice soft and warm. “Castles are where princes live, after


    all.”


    I must have made some sound because she looked up, her expression shifting the moment she saw me. The warmth didn’t disappearpletely, but it cooled and became more controlled.


    “Hunter. You’re back.”


    “So I see.” I stepped into the room, my eyes moving between her and Caesar. “Having fun?”


    “Mr. Hunter!” Caesar scrambled to his feet and ran toward me. The word ‘Mr‘ felt like another blow, but I


    knelt to catch him anyway.


    “Hey, buddy. What are you building?”


    “A castle for Granny Eleanor. She said princes live in castles.” His blue eyes…so much like mine…sparkled


    with excitement. “Do you live in a castle too?”


    Before I could answer, I caught sight of movement in the doorway. Celine stood there, partially hidden


    behind the frame, watching us with an expression that made my stomach clench. Worry.


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    Fear. And something else…longing, maybe, as she watched Caesar chatter happily about his day.


    Mother followed my gaze, and I saw her mouth tighten slightly when she spotted Celine.


    “I think it’s time for Caesar to go back to his mother now,” I said, standing up.


    Mother’s eyebrows rose. “So soon? We were having such a lovely time.”


    “You can’t just take members of the household staff without warning,” I said, keeping my voice level. “It worries people unnecessarily.”


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    The look she gave me could have frozen fire. “I hardly think spending time with family counts as ‘taking‘ anyone.”


    The word ‘family‘ hung in the air like a challenge. Caesar looked between us, sensing tension he didn’t understand.


    “I should go back to Mama,” he said quietly.


    Mother’s expression softened immediately. “Of course, darling. We’ll y again tomorrow.”


    Caesar hugged her briefly, then ran to me. “Bye, Mr. Hunter. Are youing to see me and Mamater?”


    The innocent question made my throat tight. “Maybe, buddy.”


    He grinned and ran toward the doorway where Celine waited. I watched her kneel to catch him, her face transforming the moment he was in her arms.


    All the worry and fear melted away, reced by pure, uplicated love.


    She hugged him tight, pressing kisses to the top of his head, her hands running over his arms and back like


    she was checking for injuries.


    “Did you have a good time, baby?” she asked softly.


    “The best time! Granny Eleanor showed me how to build castles and we had cookies and…”


    “Granny Eleanor?” Celine’s voice was carefully neutral, but I caught the flicker of something in her eyes.


    Mother, who had been watching this reunion with calcting eyes, spoke up. “Is there a problem with that,


    Miss Brown?”


    Celine straightened slowly, Caesar still in her arms. “No, ma’am.”


    “Good. Because I do hope we’ll be seeing much more of each other. Caesar is such a… special child.”


    The way she said ‘special‘ made my jaw clench. There was too much meaning packed into that single word,


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    “Do you think I would hurt him?” Mother continued, her voice deceptively sweet. “The way you were examining him just now, one might think you suspected abuse.”


    Celine said nothing, but her arms tightened around Caesar.


    “I see.” Mother’s voice turned sharp. “How interesting that you would think so poorly of me. Tell me, Miss Brown, what exactly do you think I’m capable of?”


    “Mother…” I started.


    “No, Hunter. I’m curious. This girl seems to have some very strong opinions about my character.” Her smile was razor–sharp. “Please, Miss Brown. Share with us what terrible things you imagine I might do to a child.”


    Celine’s face had gone pale, but she still said nothing.


    “Cat got your tongue?” Mother’sugh was cruel. “How disappointing. And here I thought you had such strong maternal instincts. Surely a good mother would speak.up if she truly believed her child was in danger?”


    “That’s enough.” My voice came out harder than I intended, echoing off the high ceilings.


    Mother turned to me with raised eyebrows. “Excuse me?”


    “I said that’s enough.” I kept my voice level, but the warning was clear. “Celine, take Caesar back to your quarters.”


    Celine hesitated, her eyes darting between Mother and me. I could see the conflict in her face….she wanted to leave, but she was afraid of what might happen if she did.


    “Go,” I said more gently. “It’s fine.”


    She nodded and started to turn away, but Caesar twisted in her arms to look back at us.


    “<i>Are </i>you and Granny Eleanor fighting?” he asked, his small voice worried.


    “No, sweetheart,” Celine said quickly. “We’re not fighting. Mr. Hunter and… and Granny Eleanor just need to talk about grown–up things.”


    Caesar seemed to ept this, but I caught the way Celine stumbled over the word ‘Granny.’ Like it tasted


    bitter in her mouth.


    ~CELINE’S POV~


    I carried Caesar back to our quarters as quickly as I could without running. My heart was still pounding from Mrs. Reid’s words, from the way she had looked at me like I was something distasteful she had found on her shoe.


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    “Mama?” Caesar’s voice was small as I set him down on our couch. “Are you mad at me?”


    The question broke my heart. “No, baby. Never. Why would you think that?”


    “You look sad. And you were quiet when Granny Eleanor was talking to you.”


    Granny Eleanor. The name made my stomach clench. When had she asked him to call her that? And why?


    “I’m not mad at you,” I said, kneeling to his level. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Did you have fun today?”


    His face lit up. “Yes! Granny Eleanor taught me about castles and knights and princes. She said princes are


    very important people who take care of everybody.”


    “Did she?” I tried to keep my voice neutral.


    “Uh–huh. And she said maybe someday I could be important too. Like Mr. Hunter.”


    My blood turned to ice. “What else did she say?“.


    Caesar scrunched up his face, thinking. “She asked me lots of questions. About you and me and where we lived before. She was really nice, Mama. Not scary like Sally.”


    “Sally’s not scary, honey. She’s just… serious about her work.”


    “She’s always angry though. Like this…” Caesar puffed out his cheeks and made a bloated frown that was


    so much like Sally’s stern expression that I couldn’t help butugh.


    “Caesar!” I tried to sound stern, but I was still giggling. “That’s not nice.”


    “But it’s true! She looks like an angry bird! Tweet tweet Grump grump!”


    He pped his arms like wings while making grumpy faces, and Iughed so hard I nearly fell over. It felt good tough, to forget for just a moment about Mrs. Reid’s calcting eyes and cruel words.


    “You’re terrible,” I said, pulling him into a hug. “But you’re right. She does look like an angry bird sometimes.” <fnc4e4> Updates are released by Find1Novel</fnc4e4>


    Caesar giggled against my shoulder. “Mama, when Granny Eleanor takes me out again, can youe too?”


    The question made my smile fade. “I don’t think so, baby. I have work to do. Sally would be upset if I left.”


    “But I want you toe! We could all build castles together!”


    “I know, sweetheart. But grown–ups have different rules sometimes.”


    Caesar was quiet for a moment, then looked up at me with those serious dark eyes that sometimes seemed too old for his face.


    “Mama, why does Granny Eleanor want me to call her that? I called her Mrs. Reid before.”


    My heart stopped. “She… she asked you to call her Granny Eleanor?”


    “Yesterday. She said it would make her happy. And that we’re…” He paused, thinking. “What’s the <i>word</i>? Fam–something?”


    “Family?”


    “Yeah! Family. She said we’re family now and family calls each other special names.”


    The room seemed to spin around me. Mrs. Reid was already working on him, already nting ideas in his three–year–old head.


    Making him think they were family while positioning me as just the hired help who couldn’t even join their outings.


    “Mama? You look funny again.”


    I forced a smile. “I’m fine, baby. Just thinking about dinner. Are you hungry?”


    Caesar nodded eagerly, and I was grateful for the distraction. But as I moved around our tiny kitchen,


    preparing his simple meal, Mrs. Reid’s words echoed in my head.


    “Such a special child.”


    “We’re family now.”


    She was iming him. Piece by piece, visit by visit, she was making Caesar hers.


    And I had no idea how to stop her.